Private Vows in The Laity/Spirituality

[BarbTherese]

I am including the following here because it is an important quotation from a Vatican Document.  I also have some quotes from the Catholic Catechism and will try to remember to post at a later date.

 

 

Quote

 

 

http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_19811122_familiaris-consortio.html

 

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
FAMILIARIS CONSORTIO
OF POPE
JOHN PAUL II

 

Marriage and Virginity or Celibacy

 

16. Virginity or celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of God not only does not contradict the dignity of marriage but presupposes it and confirms it. Marriage and virginity or celibacy are two ways of expressing and living the one mystery of the covenant of God with His people. When marriage is not esteemed, neither can consecrated virginity or celibacy exist; when human sexuality is not regarded as a great value given by the Creator, the renunciation of it for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven loses its meaning.

 

Rightly indeed does St. John Chrysostom say: "Whoever denigrates marriage also diminishes the glory of virginity. Whoever praises it makes virginity more admirable and resplendent. What appears good only in comparison with evil would not be particularly good. It is something better than what is admitted to be good that is the most excellent good."[38]

 

In virginity or celibacy, the human being is awaiting, also in a bodily way, the eschatological marriage of Christ with the Church, giving himself or herself completely to the Church in the hope that Christ may give Himself to the Church in the full truth of eternal life. The celibate person thus anticipates in his or her flesh the new world of the future resurrection.[39]

 

By virtue of this witness, virginity or celibacy keeps alive in the Church a consciousness of the mystery of marriage and defends it from any reduction and impoverishment.

 

Virginity or celibacy, by liberating the human heart in a unique way,[40] "so as to make it burn with greater love for God and all humanity,"[41] bears witness that the Kingdom of God and His justice is that pearl of great price which is preferred to every other value no matter how great, and hence must be sought as the only definitive value. It is for this reason that the Church, throughout her history, has always defended the superiority of this charism to that of marriage, by reason of the wholly singular link which it has with the Kingdom of God.[42]

 

In spite of having renounced physical fecundity, the celibate person becomes spiritually fruitful, the father and mother of many, cooperating in the realization of the family according to God's plan.

 

Christian couples therefore have the right to expect from celibate persons a good example and a witness of fidelity to their vocation until death. Just as fidelity at times becomes difficult for married people and requires sacrifice, mortification and self-denial, the same can happen to celibate persons, and their fidelity, even in the trials that may occur, should strengthen the fidelity of married couples.[43]

 

These reflections on virginity or celibacy can enlighten and help those who, for reasons independent of their own will, have been unable to marry and have then accepted their situation in a spirit of service.

 

 

All formatting is mine.

Edited March 29, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[BarbTherese]

This is an excellent talk on living The Little Way of St Therese.....really excellent.  Underneath the video link below I have included my subject notes from the address by Brother Joseph (I haven't watched Part 1 as yet): 

Brother Joseph Schmidt FSC: "WALKING THE LITTLE WAY

           OF ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX" Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPJiUDg_ZfE

 

Patience and kindess with our own weaknesses

Living with the difficult (in religious life for St Therese)

Not taking the difficult personally

Responding to others creatively on their terms and compassionately

Violent and non violent spirituality

Managing one’s negative feelings  (story about Eric)……….loosing it and loosing one’s best self to one’s negative feelings.

Stern or lenient with others?  Being creative.

Feelings good or bad or just are? Do my feelings have me or do I have them?

Do my feelings control me?

Gradual development over a lifetime

The minimum of being a loving person

Spirituality of Therese’s times. Tendencies still with us and misleading, confusing and   unhelpful:

            1 - Tendency to Jansenism – The Vengeful God wrongful concept explained –

                        misreading of Old and New Testament.  Therese and her creative

                        thinking unafraid of running against the spirituality of her times.

            2 – Notion of Perfectionism that is still with us.  Point of life is to get rid of

                        all faults and imperfections, our sinfulness, and acquiring all virtues.

                        It is all a mistake, misreading of Old and New Testament.

                        “Be ye Perfect as Your Heavenly Father is Perfect”

                                         – read in context

                        talks about God’s Love. Nurture even one's enemy is the way God is Perfect.

                        Later translation: “Let your Goodness be as bountiful as God’s Perfection”

                        is more accurate as to intrinsic meaning.

                        Learning to Love with will and our Faith. How to use our will in the spiritual  life – our choice and willpower……..choosing.

                        Not using one’s will in a bullying way (willful) –  is another way of violence.

                        Doing good things in a willful way………doing good violently.

                        Parable of the Pharisee and The Publican – not only a way of praying, but

                                    a way of living.

                        The way of the publican is the way of justification, said Jesus………surrendering into the reality of self and of God.

 

It is going to take a lifetime.

Realizing others are coming from their own disturbed life and we do not have to contribute to that disturbance

Long term hostile feelings.

            Put them into a context of Faith.  Don’t deny them but do not allow them to have

                        last word.  Entrust them to Jesus.

God brings good out of all negativity, including that of our past over which we might have had no control.

Sharing our real life with Jesus in prayer

St Therese “ I entrust to Jesus my failings, I tell Him all about them

                        And I think that so bold is my trust, that in this way I acquire more

                                    power over His Heart and draw to myself in still greater

                                    abundance The Love of Him who came to call sinners

                                    not the righteous”

 

St Therese “Perfection seems simple to me.  It is sufficient to recognize one’s nothingness and to abandon oneself as a child into God’s arms…………..Jesus does not demand great actions from us  - but simply surrender and gratitude”

            Surrender is not giving up in despair.  Surrender is acknowledging our real self warts  and all as it were and with gratitude to God for Loving us warts and all.  God will bring good out of it all, not in our way or time, but in His.  FACT!

 

Being small and humble in the arms of God, aware of our weaknesses and boldly confident in His Love.

 

Steps to get moving along the Little Way:

1 – Aware of one’s own weakness and God’s Goodness

2 – The willingness to maintain that relationship with God.  The spirit of FAITH

 

StTherese suggests we develop an attitude*** – confidence (i.e. and trust) in God’s Love

 

Other parable that had impact on St Therese was The Prodigal Son

 

Therese’s insight into “Love others as I have loved you” (The Blessed Eucharist)

 

 

***My Notes

http://ownyourambition.com/how-your-perspective-affects-your-attitude/

Your perspective is something that you decide. But your attitude is also something that you can decide. And both of these can be adjusted and even changed by you at any time. You can decide whether or not your current perspective is serving you well or not. Basically, your perspective is your opinion of what you’re experiencing.

http://sarahtauber.com/interesting-words/perception-vs-attitude-difference/ How you perceive your world (My note: How do I perceive God?) at any given time is very, very important. It is vital to a happy life. If you perceive someone is out to get you, your attitude will reflect that and you will behave accordingly. If you perceive life as your friend, your attitude will be more positive and your behavior will bring joy to those around you.

Perception leads to attitude which effects behavior which creates either a joyful life or a life of misery. Again, we are at choice. So much control over our own lives. Do you see a theme here?

 

[BarbTherese]

http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?p=13861250#post13861250

[BarbTherese]

My life goes on very much as normal........... in the main.  I know if I don't get off this computer and feed my little dog and cat, I am going to have a war on my hands.  They are hovering around me and I know why.

My medication is now transferred and has been for quite a few weeks on to Syquet (generic of Seroquel) Immediate Release, rather than the slow release I had been on of Seroquel.  The dose is now 200mg instead of 300mg.  Seroquel is a particularly difficult medication to abandon - and so my journey to no medication at all will be a very slow one indeed, providing of course that bipolar does not flare up during the journey.

Seroquel Slow Release (XR) at 300mg at night would put me to sleep and my body became accustomed to being put to sleep by Seroquel XR 300mg.  When I first transferred to the Syquet Immediate Release 200mg, I had a problem.........getting to sleep.  So I tried Ovaltine and also Horlicks and that got me off ok with some over the counter herbal type sleep aid my chemist recommended, as advised by my doctor.   A week or two on that and I slowly cut out all of them.  I am now getting off to sleep without those aids, I also feel tired at my usual bedtime - and on Syquet 200mg Instant Release (at night) only at this point.

I am seeing my psychiatrist more regularly as she keeps her psychiatric finger on the pulse of my mental health as medication is reduced.

So far, so good.  Deo Gratius Alleluia Amen.

How would I feel if bipolar was to flare up during the journey and I had to go back to the original medication and dose?  For me it would mean that I need to stay on the medication and obviously it would be an indication that I need the original medication to stay well.  It would not bother me.........ah well, some disappointment I presume at least initially.  But I would feel too that I was back into the community where I feel most at home - the company of my peers, my loved peers.  When I consider those beautiful people in the main - and mixing with non sufferers, now and then I scratch my head.  In fact my psychiatrist reiterated for me something I have heard from other senior mental health workers and psychiatrists - i.e. that it is not those seeking and obtaining treatment that worries them - it is the one's walking around in the general community thinking they are 'sane' or 'normal' and they most certainly are not.

One thing my psychiatrist realises about me is, intelligence, creativity and eccentricity.  A couple of visits ago I commented to her "I know I am a bit manic, but I can handle it" .........it ran something like this:  "I don't think you are manic at all - what makes you think that you are?"

"I have heaps of energy and am motivated and really enjoying being motivated and energetic"

"You are allowed to be happy, you know!"

Frankly, in this new parish and middle class type suburb, I really miss the companionship of the many sufferers of mental illness I knew in my previous suburb.  I loved them and their sense of the funny in life and about themselves, which did not leave me out at all - and anyway I too was quite often off planet earth with them back then.  The benefit is, having suffered 'serious psychosis' myself, I can well insight what they were "on about" - after quite suddenly my 'serious psychotic experiences' just vanished completely overnight as it were.   As an example of their humour and about themselves:  A mental health rehabilitation club was set up and the search was on for a name for it.  What we patients created and decided for was "The Acorn Club" (The Nuts' Club).  We thought it was a grand creation and a quite descriptive name - reflecting our sense of humour and about ourselves.  The staff overrode our choice, a bit horrified I think,  and we got (from staff) a very nice polite, nondescript and totally boring name for the club. 

Another funny thing that would regularly happen at the club was that staff were mistaken as patients and vv.:  A patient would have been out somewhere and called in at the club on the way home, wearing their best.  Staff as most always would be in sneakers, jeans and T-shirt type of quite casual wear.  Visitors would sometimes approach a sufferer and ask a question that was obviously for the staff. 

The rehabilitation club was created as a bridge from hospital and illness episodes towards establishing a contributing and fulfilling life in the general community - and the means were there on every level to facilitate it.  Eventually, one of the MI sufferers initiated and set up a social club.  Staff quickly got on board as very welcome support. It was so successful that not all that long after it got going, it was opened to members of the general community as a way of exposing them to sufferers of MI and therefore challenging stereotypes.  That too has been highly successful to my knowledge.

I miss them all.  The club is such a long way from me by 2 buses and my psychiatrist tells me she can no longer in conscience refer me to the club.  One needs a psychiatrist's referral to join.  Another thing that happened around the time I had to shift (mandatory - government rental housing), was that most all of us were shifted at the same time - and to the four winds as it were.

C'est la vie.

[BarbTherese]

This thread I initiated on Catholic Answers "Vocation to Single Life" has some very interesting posts:

Vocation to Single Life

 

I still check post count on this thread now and then.  Since 30.3.16 there has been an average of 12.7 views daily or 443 views in total.  Count seems to increase after I post and then drop back if I don't post and understandable.  The thread not only contains info on private vows and a very ordinary life in the laity but on mental illness as well.

I am thankful, very thankful indeed, that the thread has not been locked and archived.

[BarbTherese]

65 views of this thread since I took the last count at 1.55pm today - 9.35pm here now.............Tues 3.5.16.

Packing up for bedtime here and later than the norm.  Reading matter until I drift off to sleep.  "The Little Way of St Therese of Lisieux" E Larkin O.Carm (online and printed off internet)  http://carmelnet.org/larkin/larkin042.pdf
 

Edited May 3, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[BarbTherese]

A thread has been posted into Vocation Station titled "Is the single life a vocation?" http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/141603-is-the-single-life-a-vocation/

I have contributed one post in reply; however I am not going to contribute into that thread again, rather if the thread remains active, I will put links to a post or posts and respond here in this "Home Mass - Private Vows" thread.........in accordance with the rules set for Vocation Station by dUSt.

Edited May 4, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[BarbTherese]

---

POST-SYNODAL
APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
VITA CONSECRATA
OF THE HOLY FATHER
JOHN PAUL II

ON THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND ITS MISSION
IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-pa...onsecrata.html
 

 

Quote

 

.........".The equal dignity of all members of the Church is the work of the Spirit, is rooted in Baptism and Confirmation and is strengthened by the Eucharist. But diversity is also a work of the Spirit. It is he who establishes the Church as an organic communion in the diversity of vocations, charisms and ministries.The vocations to the lay life, to the ordained ministry and to the consecrated life can be considered paradigmatic, inasmuch as all particular vocations, considered separately or as a whole, are in one way or another derived from them or lead back to them, in accordance with the richness of God's gift. These vocations are also at the service of one another, for the growth of the Body of Christ in history and for its mission in the world........."...........

 

 

The vocations to the lay life are The Sacrament of Marriage and Celibacy in the laity for the sake of The Kingdom - nor is there any necessity to make a vow or vows, promises if one does feel called to the celibate lay life, unless of course one feels called to do so.  Personally, I think that before making any sort of vow or vows, promises, it is very wise indeed to seek spiritual direction.  I also think it would be very wise to seek spiritual direction before embracing the lay celibate state as one's vocation and call even without any vow, vows or promises.  The guiding light always in all things great and small is "What is God's Will?"  Sometimes, one can be unsure if it is God's Will or one's own and while the two can coincide, sometimes they do not - spiritual direction.

I also stress too to others that vocations to either Holy Orders and/or the Consecrated Life (in all its forms) is an honour and Gift from God -  and of great value in the life of The Church and indeed the world.  And if one has been gifted the necessary qualities(and God's Gift to them) for these vocations they should ideally seriously discern with spiritual direction.

____________________________________

I personally feel that the above quotation from Vita Consecrata is a very important statement indeed.

Edited May 5, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[BarbTherese]

UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS (USCCB)

 

Frequently Asked Questions

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/parents/frequently-asked-questions.cfm

 

"A vocation is quite simply a call from God. God gives each one of us a vocation and has blessed us with certain abilities and talents. Some of us are called to be married. Others are called to be single. Still others are called to the priesthood or to religious life. One vocation is not better than another. "

[BarbTherese]

Here is the Post on which I am commenting:  Sponsa's Post in Thread : "Is the Single Life a Vocation?"

Sponsa's article on the Aleteia blog: http://aleteia.org/2016/05/04/is-the-single-life-a-vocation/

Excerpt from article............."...........But even with all this being said, on a pastoral level it is crucial to keep in mind that uncommitted single people can never be regarded as anything less than full members of the Church. In any discussion of vocation, the most important thing to remember is that it is baptism which is the primary vocation of all Christians. Even while uncommitted singlehood itself might not be a vocation in the normal sense of the word, single Catholics are still called to holiness and the fullness of Christian life. - See more at: http://aleteia.org/2016/05/04/is-the-single-life-a-vocation/#sthash.QGuY0SVl.dpuf ..........."..................

As I have stated before, it is not what is said, it is what is not being said via language used with implications.

And the problem is that "the normal sense" (or so called normal sense) is not necessarily at all theologically accurate, nor what The Church proclaims and teaches.  What we do tend to do, I think, (herd values coming into play and perhaps "bystander effect" too) is that what is accepted as "the norm" is accepted as what The Church teaches and becomes "the pebble in the pool effect".

First, how do I definite "vocation" and "single life"?

Vocation for me is simply an experienced call from God to something specific for the sake of The Kingdom - and one responds affirmatively to that call.  What many really good Catholics do not understand is that our Baptism is our "primary vocation" and that it is indeed (see quote above) a call and vocation to holiness.  A further call is the road one is to take to holiness but some do not receive such a further call (by various means) and can feel that they are "vocation-less".  Yet, theologically speaking on the objective level and spiritually speaking on the personal level - they most definitely are not vocation-less and have a very clear and well defined vocation and call by The Church. The vocation and call of Baptism is to follow Jesus and His Gospel, His Church.  And to define the latter, The Church has given us quite extensive and recent Documents as it were on our vocation and call, mission and apostolate in the laity.

The problem as I see it and from what I have experienced being just a face in the pews as it were, mixing freely with my fellow Catholics in a few parishes now, is that Baptism is NOT UNDERSTOOD as a call and vocation.  My other point (raised on another Catholic discussion site) is that in the laity we are not formed, in formation, for actually how to go out and be leaven in our secular environments.  One can of course join a third order etc. where there is formation but not all are called to do so.  If there is some sort of formation generally for laity available, it is always beyond me personally in available dollars to pay for it.

Water all that down into a few words - we do not generally speaking understand our Baptism and it's implications for life.  Every Easter we renew our baptismal VOWS and as individuals in community in union with The Universal Church.  And we do not understand those vows in a quite conscious sense as vows for life, perpetual vows.......or our baptism lived as a personal vocation and call, which it is - and is a whole way of life of commitment and for the sake of The Kingdom, whether married or lay celibate (single life).

_______

What is "singlehood"?  It simply means living celibately in the laity.  Theologically speaking objectively, it can never be an "uncommitted" way of life.........and because of baptism and our baptismal vows.  But as I have stated previously, our baptism as a call and vocation from Jesus ("I have chosen you, you have not chosen Me") is not generally understood. 

I recall when I first was contemplating private vows and back then knew absolutely nothing about them - my
SD (priest religious and theologian) first used the term "private vows", which I had never heard before.  Explaining to me about the evangelical counsels lived under private vows, I asked him "Father, but who would I obey?" and his response was curtly "The Church of course, girl!".

[BarbTherese]

I am very often not a calm type of person, most often I am a quite emotive type of person.  About some things I am absolutely passionate.  Some of the final instructions of my SD (priest religious, theologian) during his terminal cancer was "Be credible, girl"...........and there was I suffering serious bipolar psychosis very often - completely off planet earth and unintelligible completely to 'the normal'.  I think I just might have, perhaps and possibly, (Have I? Dunno!) attained some credibility (just could be about time at 70years of ago and a tad over) - my Archbishop permitting me to have a Home Mass for renewal of Perpetual Private Vows to the EC...........oh goodness, please don't require "calm" of me as well ................far too late in the journey I fear! .............

Bob Dylan - "Maggie's Farm" http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bobdylan/maggiesfarm.html

I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I try my best
To be just like I am
But everybody wants you
To be just like them
They say sing while you slave

and I just get bored
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.

 

The Holy Spirit is not a snob nor will He be compartmentalized and confined in boundaries ............."[8] The Spirit breatheth where he will; and thou hearest his voice, but thou knowest not whence he cometh, and whither he goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John Chapter 3 V8)

Edited May 5, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[BarbTherese]

47 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

 

..............edit..................

The Holy Spirit is not a snob nor will He be compartmentalized and confined in boundaries ............."[8] The Spirit breatheth where he will; and thou hearest his voice, but thou knowest not whence he cometh, and whither he goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John Chapter 3 V8)

I do muse that real inner freedom and availability to The Holy Spirit might well be scary both to self and to others.....it is in our psychological makeup as human beings - we are social beings, we desire to be loved and to belong.  Rules and regulations, definitions and demarcation, the opinions of others, sometimes even titles (a means of "pulling rank") can be, but not of necessity, compartments and boundaries - within which a person might experience a type of security, a means of feeling safe, loved and belonging...............without being aware nor culpable of it all.  It is more a matter of psychology I think..........while God and His Grace can transcend and certainly with baptism, the grain of mustard seed is planted.   How often our saints have been persecuted by peers and others, including by The Church as hierarchy as well.  That is not to state of course that all persecution, nor the ilk, falls under the heading of "saint", oh not at all for sure.

It is all a journey............and very often a question and then further on an answer - and then a newer question will result, or just pop out the woodwork.

[BarbTherese]

Sitting outside under the pergola on a most beautiful morning (given up the cigs again), it occurred to me that we are born into darkness (original sin) and when baptised The Light shines into the darkness and insofar as we stay within The Light we can see and wander everywhere freely - in complete freedom guided by The Holy Spirit in the footsteps of Jesus to The Glory of The Father.

      "[32] And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John Chapter 8)

Step outside The Light (mortal sin) and one is the darkness once more.  I give abundant humble thanks to God  for The Sacrament of Reconciliation in which The Father not only forgives, He forgets completely as if no sin or sins had been committed...........and we are reconciled to The Church fully as if nothing had happened in the first place.  Mortal sin is a sort of self excommunication - by choosing mortal sin, I am also choosing complete separation from God and His Church.  I choose the darkness over The Light.

(Jesus, truly man and Truly God - and through The Holy Spirit, is......."[9] the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world." John Chapter 1 V5)

John Chapter 1:

"[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] The same was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. [4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men. [5] And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. "

[BarbTherese]

"But I don't do anything - I don't have any vocation telling me what to do."

"You get up in the morning, shower and get dressed, have coffee and breakfast.  You might drop the kids off to school or go to work.  You might do some housework and being retired, sit down and read a book, or watch midday movie on the TV.

All the above is part of a very ordinary life and nothing about it sinful, therefore willed by God and pleasing to Him.  Why not consciously do it all for Love of God.  In other words, live a very ordinary life on the outside in an extraordinary way in your interior and hidden life........as St Therese of Lisieux did.  That is part of the genius of her theology and insight into The Gospel -  by which The Church has titled her: Doctor of The Church.  Know too that if you do live your very ordinary type of life in an extraordinary way through interior desires and motivation, you will be giving Glory to God daily, drawing Grace for others and saving souls."

For Luke Chapter 18 "The things that are impossible with men, are possible with God "

[BarbTherese]

21 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

But I don't do anything - I don't have any vocation telling me what to do."

"You get up in the morning, shower and get dressed, have coffee and breakfast.  You might drop the kids off to school or go to work.  You might do some housework and being retired, sit down and read a book, or watch midday movie on the TV.

All the above is part of a very ordinary life and nothing about it sinful, therefore willed by God and pleasing to Him.  Why not consciously do it all for Love of God.  In other words, live a very ordinary life on the outside in an extraordinary way in your interior and hidden life........as St Therese of Lisieux did.  That is part of the genius of her theology and insight into The Gospel -  by which The Church has titled her: Doctor of The Church.  Know too that if you do live your very ordinary type of life in an extraordinary way through interior desires and motivation, you will be giving Glory to God daily, drawing Grace for others and saving souls."

There is no more that needs to be said than the above, for The Holy Spirit indeed will lead wherever He may - and where is the beginning will not be at all where is the ending...........promise and guarantee.  It is the journey.  One will be lead into the mountains, down onto the plains, permitted to linger through doldrums and in the fiery flames of suffering of some degree............I will be lead hand in His daily through an ordinary everyday life, and I will be encouraged, granted fortitude and strength, insight and blessings.  I will be granted surprises and the unexpected. I will take up my daily cross striving to follow Him as I can and according to my  lights - to lead my ordinary everyday life as He would have were it His -  and as Our Lady, chief of all discipleship, really did in Nazareth (and why we know little about it)....and there will be happiness and fulfilment Peace and Joy......Promise and guarantee.  Just don't ask nor expect anything to be static, life in The Holy Spirit is dynamic, organic................

...............dancing through life with The Lord of The Dance.............